POST 1058; FEBRUARY 11, 2013; BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON

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Having decided to essentially repeat last year's trek from North Carolina to the Peace Arch, Blaine, Washington...and having gathered up my previously used maps, found that I needed new maps.  So, took the opportunity to walk to AAA (American Automobile Association, of which I am a member) to pick up my FREE maps.

Along the way, met up with...:

Please say HELLO to TUFFY (the gorgeous 10-year old pooch)...said to be a bit feisty tending toward nipping... TUFFY and I hit it off exchanging nuzzles

 and getting my nose and hands licked clean

Arriving at AAA, was received by...:

Please say HELLO to JESSICA...greeting limited to cordial hand shakes.  Took all of 2 minutes to gather my maps of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington (the states we will be walking)

Then spent 1/2 hour chatting about walking, as Jessica is also a walker, planning on doing the 1/2 marathon in Bellingham this year.

PEACE HEALTH ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL, Bellingham, Washington

Recently spent three nights inside for intestinal cramping...as a part of the recent flu, just yesterday have reached a degree of normalcy.

Popular winter plants in Bellingham gardens

SAINT SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, Bellingham, Washington

Always take the back roads if possible...note the lack of side berms... making walking a bit dangerous.  This condition is my biggest concern about walking with SAM back across America.  SAM is 22 inches wide, meaning we MUST Walk n' Roll on the pavement where the vehicles travel.  In the mountains, such conditions are perilous.

SAM is equipped with WHITE lights forward, AMBER side lights, and RED tail lights - including a RED one on my back.

Fortunately, many states allow - and prefer - that pedestrians walk the freeways...definitely the safest roadways to walk.  Walking freeways is much less interesting, but a whole lot safer than narrow twisting back roads.

On this crossing, North Dakota, Idaho and Montana freeways are open to ALL mode of traffic...even horses and pedestrians.

Speaking of horses, I have passed by these two a number of times...today, they waited for me as I topped the hill about 1/4 mile away; yes, I stopped and chatted with them.

Stopped in at the shoemaker at the Mall, picking up my newly repaired (new partial heel) NIKE MONARCHs in which I walked last year from OBX to Peace Arch.  My new NIKE MONARCHs are breaking in nicely, giving me two pair to make the up-coming crossing.

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